Steering device for a jet boat



w. T. AUSTIIN STEERING DEVICE FOR A JET BOAT June 26, 1962 Filed March17, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet l .2 null lllllmllH INVENTOR. WILLIAM T. Aus'rmBY fimzzwm www A TTORNEYS June 26, 1962 w. T. AUSTIN STEERING DEVICE FORA JET BOAT 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 17, 1960 R. S E W R WA m BY Km50W, WWW

June 26, 1962 w. T. AU$TlN 3,040,526

STEERING DEVICE FOR A JET BOAT Filed March 17, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 U,5" .23. W 2 i if Ella- IN V EN TOR. WlLLlAM T. Aus'rm ATTORNEYSINVENTOR.

ATTORNE Y5 June 26, 1962 w. T. AUSTIN STEERING DEVICE FOR A JET BOAT 4Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed March 17, 1960 WILLIAM T. AusTm fioamimmzawwaw theboat is floating or is supported.

3,046,526 STEERENG. DEVICE FOR A JET BQAT Wiliiam T. Austin,Indianapolis, Ind, assignor to The Buehler Corperation, a corporation ofIndiana Filed Mar. 17, 19(6), Ser. No. 15,683 1 Claim. (Cl. tin-35.55)

The present invention relates to a device for deflecting a stream ofmatter and finds a primary utility as a steering device'for a water orliquid jet propelled boat or water craft.

At least one form of water-jet propelled boat involves an enginearranged to drive a pump which is located within a conduit passingthrough the boat. Water is drawn into the conduit through an intakeopening at the bottom of the boat, is pumped through the conduit by thepump andis exhausted in a stream from-the rear of the boat, the streamleaving the boat above the water within which The propulsion principledepends directly on a basic law of physics which provides that everyaction has an equal and opposite reaction. Thus, as water is ejectedastern, the boat moves forward.

One means of steering such a jet propelled boat involves the deflectingof the stream of water causing the rear of the boat to move oppositelyto such deflection and resulting in the turning of the boat. It is, ofcourse, necessary to exert a certain amount of force upon suitablesteering mechanism to accomplish such deflection. Accordingly, oneobject of the present invention is to provide a jet boat steering devicewhich requires the exertion of a relatively. small amount of force todeflect the jet'stream exhausted from the boat whereby the steering ofthe boat is facilitated.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a jet boatsteering device which does not interfere with the jet stream when theboat is moving forwardly.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved steeringdevice for a jet boat or water craft.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improveddevice for deflecting a stream of matter.

Further objects and advantages will appear as the description proceeds.

One embodiment of the present invention involves a steering device for aliquid jet propelled boat, the boat having means for propelling a streamof liquid therefrom. The device comprises a pair of deflectors locatedon opposite sides of the stream, each of said deflectors pivotallymounted on the boat about a generally vertical axis. A link is pivotedto each of the deflectors at points equally spaced from the axes wherebythe deflectors may be pivoted together. Each of the deflectors has agenerally flat shape, a first portion of whichextends away from the axistoward said boat and a second portion of which extends away from theaxis away from the boat. The first portion of each deflector is soproportioned and arranged that, when the deflectors are pivoted to aposition wherein the stream is deflected thereby, the stream will actupon one of the first portions to aid in maintaining the deflector inthe position.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from theaccompanying drawings and the following description and claims.

FIG. 1 is a side elevation of a liquid jet propelled boat incorporatingthe present invention.

FIG. 2 is a rear view of a steering device forming a portion of the boatof FIG. 1 and embodying the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, partly in section, of the steering device ofFIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a vertical section taken along line 4--4 of FIG. 3 in thedirection of the arrows.

" atdtit 3,049,526 Patented June 26, 1962 ating position in dottedlines).

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, there is illustrated aliquid jet propelled boat or water craft 10 having an engine 11 mountedtherein and arranged to drive a schematically illustrated pump 12positioned within a passage 13 extending from the bottom of'the boat tothe rear thereof. The engine 11 drives the pump 12 causing it to pumpwater through the passage 13 and from the rear of the boat causing theboat to move.

It should be noted that the boat is propelled by a jet stream projectedabove the water within which the boat is floating. By causing the jet tobe propelled above the water, steering of the boat is greatlyfacilitated because the surrounding water does not interfere with thedeflection of the jet stream to change the direction of or to steer theboat. For. this reason, a steering device operating according to thepresent invention can turn a boat in j a very short radius.

- to the base 16 is a housing 20, one function of which is to contain agate 21 which is movable within a vertically extending opening 22 in thehousing to various positions. When the gate is in the upper position,illustrated in V the drawings, the water pumped by the turbine throughthe passage 13 is free to be exhausted from the rear of the boat. Thegate is movable downwardly to various positions in one of which thewater in the passage 13 is'bottled up and is prevented from beingexhausted from the rear 7 V of the boat whereby the boat is caused toidle. The gate is also movable downwardly from the position illustratedin the drawings to a position wherein the water from the pump isdeflected in a direction forward of the boat causing the boat to moverearwardly.

Formed integrally with the housing 20 is a plurality of rearwardlyextending projections 25 and 26. The projections 25 provide a pivotalmounting about a generally vertical axis for a steering quadrant 27 anda deflector plate 30, the quadrant 27 and the plate 30 being pivotallyreceived on a shaft 29 mounted within suitable bores in the projections25. The quadrant 27 is attached to the plate 30 by a screw 28 wherebypivoting of the quadrant,

also pivots the plate. The quadrant is provided with a peripheral groove31 adapted to receive a steering line 32 (FIG. 1) which is operativelyassociated with a steering wheel or similar steering means locatedwithin the boat. Thus, if the quadrant is pivoted by means of thesteering line, the deflector 30 will also be pivoted.

The projections 26 provide a pivotal mounting for a further deflectorplate 35 which is also pivotal about a generally vertical axis. A link36 is pivoted at its opposite ends and by means of screws 28 and 34 tothe deflectors 30 and 35, the pivotal connections to the defiec torsbeing equally spaced from the respective axes of pivotal mounting of thedeflectors upon the projections 25 and 26, whereby, as the deflector 30is pivoted through a given angle by means of the steering quadrant, thedeflector 35 will move through an equal angle.

The housing 20 is provided with a circular aperture 37 which is arrangedin registry with the aperture 17. Thus,

1 as a stream of water is expelled from the rear of the boat by means ofthe pump 12, it passes through the aperture 17 and through the aperture37. It can be seen that the deflectors 30 and 35 are mounted upon theboat in such a manner that, when the deflectors are in the position ofFIGS. 2-4 and the gate 21 is in the upward position of FIG. 4, thestream of water from the turbine can pass directly out of the rear ofthe boat without interference from the deflectors. It can be appreciatedthat, if the deflectors were positioned in the stream of water, thevelocity of the stream would be decreased and as a result, the velocityof the boat would be decreased.

Each of the deflectors 30 and 35 is provided with a first portion 40 and41 which extends away from the axis of mounting of the deflectors towardthe boat. The deflectors are also provided with portions 42 and 43 whichextend away from the axis of mounting of the deflectors and away fromthe boat. The portions 40 and 41 are so proportioned and arranged that,when the steering quadrant is operated to pivot the deflectors into aposition where the stream of water is deflected, either the portion 41or the portion 40 will be acted upon by the stream of water to aid inmaintaining the deflectors in that position. For example, FIG. 5 shows(in solid lines) the deflectors pivoted to a position wherein the streamof water is deflected rightwardly. As the stream of Water acts upon theportion 43 of the deflector 35 and more especially acts upon the portion42 of the deflector 30, it will tend to return the deflectors to theposition of FIG. 3; however, a certain portion of the stream will actupon the portion 41 of the deflector 35 producing a moment which aids inmaintaining the deflectors in the position of KG. 5.

It can, therefore, be seen that the steering of the boat will be madeeasier because whenever the deflectors are moved to a position whereinthe direction of the stream of water is changed, a moment will becreated upon either the portion 40 or the portion 41 which will aid inmaintaining the deflectors in that position. Of course, Whenthedeflectors are being used to change the direction of the stream ofwater, the water will contact the deflectors reducing the velocity ofthe stream and also reducing the velocity of the boat; however, when theboat is turning, it is not desirable to maintain the velocity of theboat at a maximum value.

From the above description, it can be seen that the present inventionprovides a jet boat steering device which requires the'exertion of arelatively small amount of force to deflect the jet stream exhaustedfrom the boat whereby the steering of the boat is facilitated. Further,the pres- 4 ent invention provides a jet boat steering device which doesnot interfere with the jet stream when the boat is moving forwardly and,therefore, allows the boat to move at maximum velocity. It can also beseen that the present invention may find application in deflectingmatter other than water and that, therefore, the present inventio alsoprovides an improved device for deflecting a stream of matter.

While the invention has been disclosed and described in some detail inthe drawings and foregoing description, they are to be considered asillustrative and not restrictive in character, as modifications mayreadily suggest themselves to persons skilled in this art and within thebroad scope of the invention, reference being had to the appended claim.

The invention claimed is:

A steering device for a liquid jet propelled water craft comprisingmeans for discharging a stream of liquid from the craft through the airabove the surface of the water sustaining said craft, a pair of flatdeflectors located on opposite sides of said stream in proximitythereto, each of said deflectors pivotally mounted on said craft aboutgenerally vertical axes, a link pivoted to each of said deflectors atpoints equally spaced from said axes whereby said deflectors pivottogether, a first portion of each deflector extending away from saidaxis toward said craft and a second portion extending away from saidaxis away from said craft.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS164,033 Pratt June 1, 1875 1,344,518 Rees June 22, 1920 1,415,705 ReesMay 9, 1922 2,744,381 Geisel May 8, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS 188,683 GermanyAug. 18, 1906 902,229 Germany Oct. 18, 1954 OTHER REFERENCES Robberson:Wet-Jet Propulsion, Yachting Magazine, vol. 106, No. 5, pp. -71, Nov.1959.

